Shoe with shell portions

ABSTRACT

A shoe includes a first shell portion, and a second shell portion complementing the first shell portion to form an upper. The second shell portion is more flexible than the first shell portion and is mechanically connected to the first shell portion. The first shell portion includes a surrounding wall of substantially U-shaped cross-section which is adapted to extend around the wearer&#39;s heel. The surrounding wall includes two opposite side wall sections that have frontmost ends posterior to the ball of the foot and anterior to the plantar arch of the foot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a shoe, more particularly to a shoe which has first and second shell portions, which is capable of providing ankle protection, breathability, and good bendability, which can reduce molding costs, and which is relatively light in weight.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional shoe 10 is shown to have an outsole unit 11, a shell 12 provided on and connected to the outsole unit 11, and an upper 13 connected to an upper edge of the shell 12 by stitches. In general, the shell 12 is formed from a relatively rigid waterproof material such as rubber, TPU or TPR, and is formed to have a surrounding wall 121 that is connected to an outer periphery of the outsole unit 11, and that extends from a heel part of the shoe 10 to the toe part of the shoe 10. While the shell 12 provides the shoe 10 with a measure of water-tightness, it affects the breathability and flexibility of the shoe 10 and renders the shoe 10 to be rather bulky. Besides, the rigid shell 12 obstructs bending of the shoe 10 at the forefoot portion of the shoe 10, and makes the shoe 10 uncomfortable to wear. Furthermore, since the shell 12 is a surrounding structure, the size thereof is not adjustable. In other words, the size of the shell 12 needs to be varied according to the size of the shoe 10, thereby resulting in increased molding costs.

Referring to FIG. 2, another conventional shoe 20 is shown to include an outsole unit 21, a shell 22, and an upper 23. Unlike the aforesaid conventional shoe 10, the shell 22 is provided only at a toe part of the shoe 20, and has a wall 221 extending to a position near the ball of the foot. Although the shoe 20 can achieve material savings and can be lighter in weight due to the configuration of the shell 22, since the shell 22 has a hardness greater than that of the upper 23 connected thereto, bending of the wearer's foot at the ball of the foot is not comfortable. In addition, as the shell 22 is provided only at the toe part of the shoe 20, it cannot protect the wearer's ankle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a shoe with first and second shell portions, which has advantages of ankle protection, breathability, good bendability, cost effectiveness, and lightness in weight.

Accordingly, a shoe of this invention includes a first shell portion, and a second shell portion complementing the first shell portion to form an upper. The second shell portion is mechanically connected to the first shell portion and is more flexible than the first shell portion. The first shell portion includes a surrounding wall which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and which is adapted to extend around the heel of a wearer. The opposite side wall sections have frontmost ends posterior to the ball of the foot and anterior to the plantar arch of the foot.

Alternatively, the first shell portion may further include a sole part which has at least a heel region connected to the surrounding wall. An opening may be formed in the sole part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional shoe with a surrounding shell;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a conventional shoe with a shell at a toe part thereof;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of a shoe according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first shell portion of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4A is a fragmentary elevation view showing the positions of the ball and plantar arch of the foot;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the second preferred embodiment of a shoe according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the first shell portion of the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the second preferred embodiment, showing how the first shell portion is connected to an outsole unit and to a second shell portion;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the third preferred embodiment of a shoe according to this invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a first shell portion of the third preferred embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a shoe according to this invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first shell portion of the fourth preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the fifth preferred embodiment of a shoe according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first preferred embodiment of a shoe 30 according to the present invention is shown to include a first shell portion 31, a second shell portion 32, and an outsole unit 33. The outsole unit 33 includes a midsole 331 and an outsole 332 connected to a bottom surface of the midsole 331.

The second shell portion 32 is more flexible than the first shell portion and is composed of a plurality of pieces. In this embodiment, the second shell portion 32 includes a front part 321 and an instep part 322. The second shell portion 32 complements the first shell portion 31 to form an upper, and is mechanically connected to the first shell portion 31.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first shell portion 31 includes a sole part 312 which is secured to the midsole 331 and which has at least a heel region 3121, and a surrounding wall 310 which projects upward from a periphery of the heel region 3121 and which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section that turns around the heel region 3121. The surrounding wall 310 includes two opposite side wall sections 311 that extend forward with a length sufficient to reach a wearer's ankle (specifically, the malleoli on the inside and outside of the ankle), i.e., the position indicated as (A) in FIG. 3, so as to be capable of protecting the wearer's ankle. In addition, the opposite side wall sections 311 respectively have frontmost ends that are disposed posterior to the ball of the wearer's foot. Preferably, the position of the frontmost ends of the side wall sections 311 is between the ball of the foot denoted by (B) in FIG. 4A and the plantar arch of the foot represented by (C) in FIG. 4A.

The front part 321 of the second shell portion 32 is connected to the surrounding wall 310 at the frontmost ends, and the instep part 322 of the second shell portion 32 is disposed above and is connected to the front part 321 and the surrounding wall 310, thereby constituting the upper of the shoe 30.

In this embodiment, the first shell portion 31 is a molded body formed from composite, rubber, TPR, TPU, EVA or PVC. The sole part 312 is made from a material that is softer than that of the surrounding wall 310 so as to enhance the comfort in walking. There are various known methods of forming the first shell portion 31 from two materials. For instance, two materials of different hardness are disposed in a mold at positions corresponding to the surrounding wall 310 and the sole part 312 prior to formation.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the second preferred embodiment of a shoe 40 according to this invention is shown to include a first shell portion 41 and a second shell portion 42 which cooperatively form an upper, and an outsole unit 43. The first shell portion 41 is likewise a molded body having a sole part 412 and a surrounding wall 410. The primary difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment resides in that the frontmost ends of the two opposite side wall sections 411 of the surrounding wall 410 are close to the ball of the wearer's foot. However, the position of the frontmost ends of the two opposite side wall sections 411 is still posterior to the ball of the foot and anterior to the plantar arch of the foot. This arrangement facilitates bending of the foot at the ball without being subjected to interference or obstruction. The surrounding wall 410 further has a marginal end 413 for connection with the second shell portion 42. The marginal end 413 has a shoulder formation 4131 that extends along the length of the marginal end 413 to join with the second shell portion 42, such as by stitching. Furthermore, the sole part 412 is formed with an opening 4121 therein for receiving fittingly a raised portion 431 that projects from an upper surface of the outsole unit 43, thereby enabling the first shell portion 41 to be secured more firmly to the outsole unit 43. Alternatively, the opening 4121 may be filled with a conventional filler material (not shown). The arrangement of the opening 4121 facilitates processing of the shoe 40 in a waterproof treatment. For instance, when the molded body of the first shell portion 41 is being sewn to the second shell portion 42 at the shoulder formation 4131, the opening 4121 allows the worker to access the inside of the second shell portion 42 for attachment of a waterproof tape or strip to the inside of the second shell portion 42.

On the other hand, the outer side of the first shell portion 41 in this embodiment may be covered by a fabric material (D), such as, a fabric well-known under the registered trademark, Kevlar, as shown in FIG. 7A. The fabric material not only can enhance the outer appearance of the first shell portion 41 but also can increase the wear-resistance of the first shell portion 41.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the third preferred embodiment of a shoe 50 according to this invention is shown to include a first shell portion 51, a second shell portion 52, and an outsole unit 53. Unlike the previous embodiments, the first shell portion 51 is not provided with any sole part. Specifically, the first shell portion 51 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and is adapted to extend around the heel of the wearer. Furthermore, the first shell portion 51 has a rear end 510 and two opposite side wall sections 511 which are similar to the opposite side wall sections 311 of the first preferred embodiment.

Alternatively, the first shell portion 51 may be a multi-layered structure which includes more than one layer. For example, a two-layered structure may include a rubber layer and a fabric layer. A three-layered structure may include an EVA layer, a fabric layer and a TPU layer.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the fourth preferred embodiment of a shoe 60 according to this invention is shown to be substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment. However, the shoe 60 has a first shell portion 61. The first shell portion 61 includes a surrounding wall 610 which has two side wall sections 611 with a height higher than the ankle (shown at “A”) of the wearer. The first shell portion 61 further includes an instep section which is one-piece with the surrounding wall 610 and which has two instep parts 612. The instep parts 612 are spaced apart from each other to define a tongue opening 615 and are formed with eyelets 613. Lower ends 614 of the instep parts 612 extend downwardly and rearwardly to the frontmost ends 616 of the side wall sections 611.

A second shell portion that complements the first shell portion 61 to form an upper of the shoe 60 includes a front toe part 621 extending forward from the surrounding wall 610 and the instep parts 612, and a top part 622 extending upward from the surrounding wall 610 and the instep parts 612. An outsole 63 is connected to the first shell portion 61 and the front toe part 621.

The unique features of the first shell portion 61 are that the side wall sections 611 are higher than the ankle, the frontmost ends 616 of the side wall sections 611 do not extend beyond the ball of the foot, and the eyelets 613 are formed in the instep parts 612. An enhanced ankle protecting effect can be achieved when the shoe 60 of this embodiment is used.

Referring to FIG. 12, in the fifth preferred embodiment of a shoe 70 according to this invention, the surrounding wall 710 of the first shell portion 71 includes a ventilation hole 713 and a screen 712 covering the ventilation hole 713. Certainly, the screen 712 may be dispensed with as desired. Alternatively, a waterproofing air-permeable film (not shown) can be applied to an inner surface of the surrounding wall 710 at the ventilation hole 713 to provide a waterproofing effect. Thus, this embodiment has the combined advantages of ankle protection, bendability, breathability, and waterproofness.

With the above construction, this invention is capable of achieving the following advantageous effects:

1. Good Support and Protection:

As the first shell portion is dimensioned to cover the wearer's ankle in use, it can support the wearer's ankle to prevent ankle sprains. Thus, this invention is suitable for use as a sports shoe.

2. Good Flexibility and Breathability:

Since the first shell portion has a length that does not go beyond the ball of the wearer's foot, it will not obstruct bending of the wearer's foot, or bending of the shoe, during walking. Besides, due to the overall construction of the shoe, the second shell portion can be made of a relatively soft material to enhance the breathability of the shoe. Since the softer and flexible material can be used in the second shell portion, the shoe can provide better fit for the front portion of the users' feet.

3. Lightweight

Given that the second shell portion can be formed from a relatively soft material and that only the first shell portion is made from a relatively rigid material, the overall weight of the shoe can be reduced as compared with the conventional shoe having a heavy surrounding hard shell.

4. Cost Effectiveness

In view of the fact that the feet of people usually vary in width and thickness at the part in front of the ball of the foot so that molds of different sizes have to be prepared for making shells of shoes as in the prior art, the present invention contemplates the use of a separate first shell portion as the heel part of the shoe, which is relatively fixed in size, for matching a second shell portion, thereby reducing considerably the molding costs.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. A shoe comprising: a first shell portion, and a second shell portion complementing said first shell portion to form an upper, said second shell portion being mechanically connected to said first shell portion and being more flexible than said first shell portion; said first shell portion being waterproof and vapor impermeable and including a sole part which has at least a heel region, and a surrounding wall which projects upward from a periphery of said heel region and which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section that turns around said heel region, said surrounding wall including two opposite side wall sections, said opposite side wall sections having frontmost ends posterior to the ball of the foot and anterior to the plantar arch of the foot.
 2. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first shell portion is configured as a molded body.
 3. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surrounding wall has a marginal end for connection with said second shell portion, said marginal end having a shoulder formation that extends along the length of said marginal end to join with said second shell portion.
 4. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole part has an opening therein.
 5. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side wall sections have a height sufficient to reach an entire part of the ankle.
 6. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole part is relatively softer than said surrounding wall.
 7. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surrounding wall further includes a ventilation hole.
 8. The shoe as claimed in claim 7, wherein said surrounding wall further includes a screen covering said ventilation hole.
 9. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second shell portion includes a front part connected to said surrounding wall at said frontmost ends, and an instep part disposed above and connected to said front part and said surrounding wall, said first shell portion being a one-piece body, said second shell portion being composed of a plurality of pieces.
 10. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frontmost ends of said side wall sections are immediately behind the ball of the foot.
 11. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first shell portion is a multi-layer structure.
 12. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first shell portion has an outer layer which includes a Kevlar fabric.
 13. A shoe comprising: a first shell portion, and a second shell portion complementing said first shell portion to form an upper, said second shell portion being mechanically connected to said first shell portion and being more flexible than said first shell portion; said first shell portion being waterproof and vapor impermeable and including a surrounding wall which has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and which is adapted to extend around the heel of a wearer, said surrounding wall including two opposite side wall sections, said side wall sections having frontmost ends posterior to the ball of the foot and anterior to the plantar arch of the foot.
 14. The shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first shell portion further includes a sole part.
 15. The shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein said side wall sections have a height higher than the ankle.
 16. The shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first shell portion further includes a sole part which has at least a heel region connected to said surrounding wall.
 17. The shoe as claimed in claim 15, wherein said surrounding wall further includes an instep section connected to said side wall sections, said instep section being one piece with said surrounding wall, said instep section having a lower end extending downward to said frontmost ends of said side wall sections.
 18. The shoe as claimed in claim 17, wherein said instep section includes two instep parts which are spaced apart from each other to define a tongue opening and which are connected respectively to said side wall sections, said instep parts having eyelets formed therein.
 19. The shoe as claimed in claim 18, wherein said second shell portion includes a front toe part extending forward from said surrounding wall and said instep parts, and a top part extending upward from said instep parts and said surrounding wall.
 20. The shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first shell portion is a one-piece molded body, said second shell portion being composed of a plurality of pieces.
 21. The shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first shell portion includes a material which is selected from the group consisting of composite, rubber, TPU, TPR, EVA and PVC.
 22. The shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first shell portion is a multi-layered structure.
 23. The shoe as claimed in claim 22, wherein said multi-layered structure includes a rubber layer and a fabric layer.
 24. The shoe as claimed in claim 22, wherein said multi-layered structure includes an EVA layer, a fabric layer and a TPU layer. 